أرانِي إِذا عَادَيتُ قَوماً رَكَنتُمُ

أرانِي إِذا عَادَيتُ قَوماً رَكَنتُمُ

إِلَيهِم فَآيَستُم مِنَ النَصرِ مَطمَعي

إِلَيهِم فَآيَستُم مِنَ النَصرِ مَطمَعي

I find that whenever I take a people as foes, you side

Whenever I opposed a people, you clung to them,

with them, and so dash my hope of support.

Despairing of victory for my hopes.

فَكَم نَزَلَت بِي مِن أُمورٍ مُهِمَّةٍ

فَكَم نَزَلَت بِي مِن أُمورٍ مُهِمَّةٍ

خَذَلتُم عَلَيها ثُمَّ لَم أَتَخَشَّعِ

خَذَلتُم عَلَيها ثُمَّ لَم أَتَخَشَّعِ

And how many distressing matters have befallen me,

So many grave affairs befell me,

in which you forsook me, yet I did not humble myself.

In which you let me down, yet I was not submissive.

فَأَدبَرَ عَنّي كَربُها لَم أُبالِهِ

فَأَدبَرَ عَنّي كَربُها لَم أُبالِهِ

وَلَم أَدعُكُم في جُهدِها المُتَطَلِّعِ

وَلَم أَدعُكُم في جُهدِها المُتَطَلِّعِ

So their anguish receded from me; I paid it no heed,

Their hardship turned away from me; I cared nothing for it

nor did I call on you in their looming hardship.

And did not call upon you in its stressful pursuit.

وَإِنِّي لَمُستَأنٍ وَمُنتَظِرٌ بِكُم

وَإِنِّي لَمُستَأنٍ وَمُنتَظِرٌ بِكُم

وَإِن لَم تَقولوا في المُلِمّاتِ دَع دَعِ

وَإِن لَم تَقولوا في المُلِمّاتِ دَع دَعِ

And indeed I am biding my time and waiting for you,

Yet I am gentle and expectant with you,

though in calamities you did not say, 'Leave off! Leave off!'

And if you do not say "Stop! Stop!" in calamities,

أُؤَمِّلُ فيكُم أَن تَرَوا خَيرَ رَأيِكُم

أُؤَمِّلُ فيكُم أَن تَرَوا خَيرَ رَأيِكُم

وَشِيكاً وَكَيما تَنزِعُوا خَيرَ مَنزَعِ

وَشِيكاً وَكَيما تَنزِعُوا خَيرَ مَنزَعِ

I hope you will see your wisest course

I have hopes in you that you will see the best of your judgements

soon, and that you may turn in the best direction.

Soon, however much you take the best course.

وَقَد أَبقَتِ الحَربُ العَوانُ وَعَضُّها

وَقَد أَبقَتِ الحَربُ العَوانُ وَعَضُّها

عَلى خَذلِكُم مِنّي فَتىً لَم يُضَعضَعِ

عَلى خَذلِكُم مِنّي فَتىً لَم يُضَعضَعِ

And indeed, renewed war and its bite have left

War has left the helpers and its biting

me, despite your desertion, a young man unshaken.

Due to your desertion of me, an unshaken youth.

فَعانَيتُ ما بي إِذ رَأَيتُ عَشيرَتي

فَعانَيتُ ما بي إِذ رَأَيتُ عَشيرَتي

بِمَرأَىً مَعاً مِمّا كَرِهتُ وَمَسمَعِ

بِمَرأَىً مَعاً مِمّا كَرِهتُ وَمَسمَعِ

So I endured my affliction when I saw my clan

I suffered what was in me when I saw my tribe

within both sight and hearing of what I loathed.

In plain view of what I hated and heard.

فَأَدرَكتُ ثأري والَّذي قَد فَعَلتُمُ

فَأَدرَكتُ ثأري والَّذي قَد فَعَلتُمُ

قَلائِدُ في أَعناقِكُم لَم تُقَطَّعِ

قَلائِدُ في أَعناقِكُم لَم تُقَطَّعِ

So I took my revenge, and the deeds you have done

So I took my revenge, and by what you have done

are necklaces about your necks, still unsevered.

Necklaces on your necks were not cut off.